San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-02-10
RELIANCE ROIBURrS PYOTEGEE.
How Dot and her Mother found a
Home.

Its haTum-scarum idea" said Miss Re-
lance Roxbury, as she stood among the cur
rant bushes at the garden fence. "A most
ridiculous idea! l wonder what this gllsh-
ing American people will do next" and she
gave an emphatic twitch to her purple calico
sunbonnet.
There was faint murmur of dissent from
q little woman on the other side of the fence.
"No-of course you don't agree with me-"
continued Miss Reliance, as the clusters of
ruby and pearl flew into the six-quart pail at
her feet. YOU'RE so sOft-hearted that your
feelings are forever running away with your
common sense. You never say a word about
the National debt, or the condition Of our
navy, but let anybody start subscription
for sending blanket shawls to Brazil, or put
ting up monument to Methusaleh on the
Westinghouse green, and you'll give your
last quarter. And now you're going to open
your house to a lot of little ragamuffins
from New York.
The motherly brown eyes on the other
side of the fence were full of tears, and
pleasant voice replied
ut makes my heart ache to think how the
poor things suffer, crowded together in dirty
streets, with never breath of clover field
or glass of milk. If you'd just read about
1t, Reliance, you'd count it blessed priyi-
lege to give them bit of our sunshine"
I'D as soon have tribe Of Zulus on the
place" said Miss Reliance, land il you'll
take my advice you'll save yourself lots Of
trouble"
Mrs. Lane stopped her work for moment,
and said,-
"'Laikim and me are all alone now, Re-
lance. One by one, we've laid Kate and
Sarah and baby Lizzie over there in the old
burying ground; and Jack is in Colorado,
and Richard in Boston, and we get hungry
sometimes for the sound of little feet. When
began to read about the fresh air fund it
kind of senta thrill all over me, and 'Laikim
he reads about it every day, and he wipes
his glasses pretty often, too. Then, when
we heard the parsOn say that party would
come here If places could be found for them,
'Laikim spoke right off for four, and they'll
be here next Tuesday, and Pm going to
make 1t just as much like heaven as l can"
you'll make yourself sick, that's what
you'll do, Amanda Lane" replied Miss Re
lance; shut If you want your garden over
run and your silver spoons stolen, and your
house full of flies, and your nerves prostrat-
ed, why it's your own fault. must 60 in
and get my Jelly started"
Miss ROXbury went up the path between
the sunfowers and hollyhOcks, entered the
large, sunny, airy kitchen, and set down the
pail Of currants for Hannah, the housemaid,
to pick over. Then she hung the purple
calico sunbonnet on the nail that for forty
years had been devoted to that purpose, and
went into the cool sitting-room to rest inner
favorite chintz-covered rocker.
Miss Reliance ROxbury had been for
twenty years with the exception of a gar
dener and housemaid, the sole occupant Of
this ancient stone dwelling, that had stood
for more than a century beneath Its elms
and naples, the pride of the village Of Lyn-
ford. She was stern woman, who liked
but few people, and had ahorror Of children,
dogs and sentiment. The village boys, with
a keen perception of her unsympathetic ma
ture called her "Old Ironsides."
She was proud of her birth and of the sub
stantial property that had fallen to her at
the death of her father, old Judge Roxbury.
She was a member of the Presbyterian
Church, and pain high rental for the Rox-
bury pew, but with that considered that her
pecuniary obligations to the cause were at
an end. As general thing, she had not al
lowed convictions on the subject Of giving
to trouble her, but somehow, ever since Sun
day, when the pastor stated the work Of the
fresh air fund and made a fervent appeal
for these little ones that suffer-" she had
been subjected to numerous vague but I'M
comfortable sensations.
She rocked back and forth in the spacious
sitting-rOom that no fly dared to invade,
and noted the perfect order of the apart
ment. From the China shepherdess on the
mantel, to the braided rugs at the doors,
everything occupied the same position as in
the days Of Miss Roxbury's glrlhOOd. There
was torture in the thought Of having the
table cover pulled awry. of seeing the shells
aid urim old daguerreotypes disarTanged on